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That's A Wrap: Analysis of FC Dallas vs Seattle

Guest columnist Daniel Robertson is the founder of BigDSoccer.com. His blog covers everything FC Dallas and local soccer. You can follow him on Twitter @BigDSoccer. In 'That's A Wrap' Daniel details three plays or moments that changed the game.

1. The first major chance of the game fell to Seattle in the 18th minute. Andy Rose’s cross/shot found Mauro Rosales at the top of the box. With the form the Argentine is currently in, you’d have bet the house on the ball hitting the net. But in a wild sequence his first shot was saved by Kevin Hartman, second shot rebounded off the post and the third effort skied over the bar by Rosales under stiff pressure from Zach Loyd. For a depleted FC Dallas squad, an early Seattle goal could have spelled doom, but a combination of a little bit of skill, a little bit of luck and some last-second defending kept the sheet clean in the first half.

2. Dallas nearly took the lead in the 39th minute as Fabian Castillo, the most dangerous player for FC Dallas on this night, sent in a deep cross to Andrew Jacobson. The midfielder headed the ball smartly across the box to Scott Sealy, whose headed effort was literally clawed onto the post by Seattle goalkeeper Bryan Meredith. Sealy’s follow up effort fell to Meredith and the goal that FCD probably deserved from the first half never came. Multiple players mentioned that save after the game as the moment that probably changed the game.

3. Despite FC Dallas holding the vast majority of play in the second half, Seattle finally broke the deadlock in the 68th minute. Second half substitute Cordell Cato found some space down the right with his cross coming to the feet of Fredy Montero, also subbed on in the second half. The Colombian muscled through two FC Dallas defenders before ripping a fantastic strike past Hartman in goal. It was a cruel fate for the short-handed FCD squad who had just about every major chance up to that point in the second half.